Career comes "full circle" for retiring colonel

  • Published
  • By Patty Welsh
  • 66th Air Base Group Public Affairs
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. --  As Col. Stacy McNutt, Battle Management deputy director, prepares to retire from the Air Force, she is pleased to be finishing that work at Hanscom.

"It brings my career full circle," she said. In her current assignment, she added, she's had the privilege to work with people that she originally worked with 24 years ago.

After graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy, McNutt began her career as a 2nd lieutenant in the Joint STARS program office here in 1988. She also worked in the AWACS system program office from 1994 to 1997. And as a member of the acquisition corps, she has held a number of positions where she had interaction with personnel throughout the Electronic Systems Center.

In her present job as deputy director, she ensures the Battle Management Directorate is able to accomplish its mission of rapidly developing and fielding battle management command and control and communications systems. McNutt also helps manage the $9.5 billion and more than 1,000 personnel associated with that mission.

She recently emphasized the achievements of the directorate.

"I'm so proud of our people and the capabilities they have delivered to our users," the colonel said. "It's been accomplished through great leadership, teamwork with industry partners and dedication and expertise in our acquisition practices."

McNutt said the group gets "awesome" feedback from their customers that not only come in the regular phone call or email variety, but a number of forms.

"We're constantly seeing positive feedback such as the AWACS team getting chocolates from the 552nd Air Control Wing Operations Group commander to the JSTARS team receiving a flag from Navy Seal Team 6 - both in appreciation for capabilities we delivered," she said.

Other assignments McNutt has held range from Air Force Experimentation Policy Branch chief at the Pentagon to the system program manager for the Joint Primary Aircraft Training System (T-6) program at the Aeronautical Systems Center and Strategic Engagement Planner for the Combined Security Transition Command in Afghanistan. She also served in a joint duty assignment as the deputy program executive officer for Mission Management Programs at the National Security Agency.

"I've enjoyed each assignment I've had in the Air Force," McNutt said. "That satisfaction has come from the challenging work and, most importantly, from the dedicated people I've been fortunate to work with over the years."

She encourages everyone to help develop their subordinates.

"Over the past dozen years, one of the goals I set for every assignment I held was to ensure that the workplace was a challenging, growing, learning environment for the people that were on my teams," the colonel said. "I'd encourage all supervisors to take this on as a personal goal, to make sure that we as a community continue to grow the acquisition leaders of tomorrow. That will help enable our acquisition workforce to effectively deal with whatever challenges come their way in the upcoming years, as they continue to perform their important mission for our Air Force."

After her retirement, McNutt plans to join her husband, Ross, and their four children in Beavercreek, Ohio. She plans to take the summer off for her "first summer vacation in 30 years!" and following, join her husband in his business.

"I'm looking forward to putting down some roots there and keeping involved in the aviation community in that area," she said.

Her retirement ceremony will be held June 11 at 11 a.m. in the Conference Center.